INDIANAPOLIS ― Adam Schiff had a message for his team prior to the Class 2A state championship game.
Regardless of the result, win or lose, a standard has been set for Mater Dei baseball. An expectation of how to play the game. A conviction to compete at the highest level in the state.
This program once again believes it deserves to be in the conversation with the best.
No. 6 Boone Grove defeated No. 3 Mater Dei 6-1 in the 2A title game at Victory Field on Saturday, June 21. Don’t let the final score fool you. The Wildcats were this close to winning their second state championship.
The Wolves scored five runs in the seventh inning to take their first lead of the game.
“The razor thin margins to try and beat a team like that,” Schiff said. “Just made too many mistakes.”
Mater Dei (23-8) had the formula throughout most of the championship. It led 1-0 through four innings on solid pitching and defense. Brayden Caldemeyer broke the deadlock with an RBI double in the third.
Where the game was determined was two-fold. Start with the seventh inning.
Boone Grove (25-7) tied the game following two throwing errors and a fielder’s choice that saw Daniel Veschak beat a ball home. The Wolves then collected three straight hits, including a two-run double by Tristan Wilson. They did most of their damage from the heart of the order with Wilson and Davian Carrera having two hits apiece.
Mater Dei had two errors in its previous six postseason games. It had three at Victory Field.
“When (Mater Dei) brought the guy that throws fastballs ― our mouth waters when a guy comes up and throws fastballs,” said Boone Grove coach Sean Riley on his team’s rally. “He pounds the zone, and I knew our guys were dialed up and ready to go.”
Therein lied the other issue. Mater Dei only managed three hits against the Valparaiso recruit – Caldemeyer had two including a leadoff single in the sixth. The Wildcats were thrown out three times on the bases.
It was a struggle for an offense that scored at least eight runs in five of the last six games. A reminder that championships are generally won by the team which capitalizes on mistakes by the opponent.
“When you combine not hitting a lot with three errors,” Schiff said. “It’s not a good formula for competing against a really good team. Give a lot of credit to Boone Grove. (Seth) Pitcock pitched a really good game. We were really off balanced throughout the game.”
None of which lessened what Mater Dei accomplished this spring. This was the Wildcats’ sixth championship game appearance but the first in 11 years. It had been that long since they had won a sectional title, let alone compete for a spot at Victory Field.
Few teams seemed to know their identity from the start of the season. Mater Dei knew what it did well and what it didn’t. More times than not, the Wildcats were the better team on the field because of the former.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Caldemeyer, the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award winner, said. “We played for as long as we could and as many games as possible. Huge props to coach Schiff. He did an amazing job. He was with every single step of the way. He is definitely a player’s coach.”
The nucleus for such a program shift was this senior class. A group of eight players that took charge in fall and winter workouts. Schiff consistently applauded their mindset and preparation – it’s why Mater Dei reached Indianapolis.
It’s one thing to want to play for a state championship. It’s another mountain entirely to achieve it.
“The standard has been set,” Schiff said. “The expectation has been set. For a younger group coming in next year, they have to respond the same way and have a similar offseason. Play the game the way these seniors taught us how to do it.”
The Wildcats do return a solid building block that includes three starters from the championship game, plus pitcher Cole Breeden. There’s a belief in Evansville this program has the potential to compete for multiple years.
If Mater Dei is able to return to Victory Field in the future ― again, never a reasonable assumption. Baseball can be a fickle and odd game ― it knows the journey began this year.
“They put this program back where it belongs,” Schiff said. “Win or lose today, I don’t think that takes away from what they did and accomplished this year. I told them that before the game. They left a mark on this program and it won’t be forgotten.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Mater Dei baseball set a standard for the future with IHSAA state championship appearance
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
